Archive for the ‘In The Kitchen – Recipes’ Category

I have known for many years that I feel positively better when I include protein in each meal, but my focus on breakfast was eggs, meat, or cheese.

I have discovered a new personal favorite, a smoothie to start my day.

These smoothies do not spike my blood sugar, and even though I drink them between 7:00 – 7:30 a.m., I do not feel hungry as the morning progresses. My energy level is sustained for 4 to 4 1/2 hours. By then, it is time for lunch.

I start my smoothie mix with non-fat milk, about 7 ounces. I add slightly less than one scoop of Central Market whey powder, and then I add fresh (that I freeze myself) fruit.

My personal favorite smoothie fruits are granny smith apples (with a touch of lemon juice as a nature preservative), several slices of peaches, and about 1/8 cup (or less) of blueberries or blackberries.

This equates to a low-fat, easy to digest protein packed blend, with nutrition that rapidly goes into the bloodstream.

What have you found that sustains you throughout your morning or afternoon?

If you drink smoothies, what recipe do you enjoy?

Have you tried peanut butter and cocoa? I’ve not gone that route yet. Would love to hear if you have!

At the bottom of this post I list the original ingredients to the “Ham and Biscuit Breakfast Casserole” recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 lb sage sausage, cooked and drained

5 eggs, beaten

1/2 can Mexican style tomatoes (10 oz), drained*

1 small can sliced black olives, drained

1/4 cup diced onion

1 large can flaky “homestyle” biscuits

Salsa for topping

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking dish (I used a glass 10×10 baking dish, and coated with non-stick cooking spray).

Fully cook the sausage and drain. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.

Mix all the ingredients together, including the sausage, except for the biscuits and 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese. Stir to mix well.

Cut each biscuit into quarters and add to the rest of the ingredients.

Top with 1/4 cup shredded cheese.

Pour everything into the greased baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes (or until browned and biscuit and eggs have cooked thoroughly).

Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Cut and serve. Top with salsa to taste.

The original Ham and Biscuit Break Casserole recipe included 1/2 cup whole milk (I substituted buttermilk), 2 cups cubed ham, and salt and pepper to taste. The original recipe also listed the cook time at 25 minutes.

The top of the casserole may brown before it cooks thoroughly. In this case, cover the casserole with foil to prevent further browning.

*I used 1/2 can of Mexican tomatoes, and froze the 2nd half in a freezer bag for future use.

This casserole is great for dinner, and we enjoyed it as left-overs for breakfast. Heat individual servings in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, or until warm.

This is a wonderful meal for the cold dark days of winter when we need the extra oomph to warm our chilled-to-the-bone bodies! This soup smells extraordinary, like fresh tacos. It is not a spicy hot soup, and I will admit that I added a smidget more of each of the spices listed below. Enjoy!

Taco Seasoning Recipe:

1 part cumin
1 part chili powder
1 part garlic powder
1/4 part crushed red pepper
(This is a great salt-free taco seasoning, with or without the crushed red pepper.)

I picture a log cabin with a large hearth in the kitchen, with a black iron pot simmering a soup or stew. Of course, this fills the home with the aroma of mouth-watering goodness.

Well, the hearth isn’t any part of things in my home today, nor is the cabin in the woods, but I have the smell of wholesomeness going on.

On the stove is Rustic Chicken Stew. I found this recipe in the HEB flyer. For those of you that are non-Texan, HEB is our main, and much-loved, Central Texas (and more locations) grocery store. I did some tweaking to the recipe, which I will tell you about after the instructions.

Rustic Chicken Stew

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb chicken, diced

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp granulated garlic powder

1 small onion, chopped

1 can sliced carrots, drained

1 32 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1 can (14.5 oz) great northern beans, drained

32 oz can low sodium chicken broth

1. Heat olive oil in large pot on medium-high. Add diced chicken and herbs to hot oil and brown thoroughly. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. In the same pan, add the onion and simmer until tender.

3. In the same pan, add the carrots, tomatoes and beans. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes.

4. Pour in chicken broth and simmer on medium heat for at least 20 minutes.

These are the revisions that I made to the original recipe:

I used bone-in chicken. The recipe called for boneless. I boiled the chicken, allowed it to cool, then deboned and diced the meat. I used part of the fresh chicken broth as a substitute for canned chicken broth.

I used granulated garlic powder instead of 3 cloves garlic, chopped.

I left out the 5 oz of baby spinach, chopped. My dear husband does not know what is good for him! If you opt to include spinach, add it when you add the carrots, tomatoes and beans.

The original recipe also called for 4 tomatoes, chopped, added after the fresh carrots are simmered until tender (yes, 2 of them, chopped – instead of canned).

The original recipe did not call for adding the herbs until after the chicken was browned. I am the type of cook that does not follow directions, and I love the taste of meat that has browned with herbs. Either way, the recipe works beautifully. Browned herbs add a certain type of flavor to any dish – compared to herbs added to the liquids after browning of the meat or vegetables.

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Content on this site is for reference purposes only. It is not intended as a substitution for advice and treatment given by a physician, pharmacist, veterinarian, or other licensed healthcare professional.